BATON ROUGE, La. – A benefit concert was held June 7 at New Hope Baptist Church in Baton Rouge to remember the six family members and a family friend who died in a crash near Slaughter, La., 20 miles outside Baton Rouge, in late May. The benefit raised $32,594 to help with funeral expenses for the Johnson and Gaines families.

A memorial account is set up at Chase Bank in the name of the Rev. John Gaines Sr., father, husband, and grandfather of six of the victims. Gaines serves as an associate pastor at New Christland Baptist Church in Baton Rouge.

By Grelan Muse Sr.
Inside The Pew

BATON ROUGE – A benefit concert was held June 7 at New Hope Baptist Church in Baton Rouge to remember the six family members and a family friend who perished in a deadly crash near Slaughter, La., 20 miles outside Baton Rouge, in late May. The benefit raised $32,594 to help with funeral expenses for the Johnson and Gaines families.

A memorial account is set up at Chase Bank in the name of the Rev. John Gaines Sr., father, husband, and grandfather of six of the victims. Gaines serves as an associate pastor at New Christland Baptist Church in Baton Rouge.

According to WAFB CBS Channel 9 in Baton Rouge, Brenda Gaines, her daughter Denise Johnson, Gaines’ four grandchildren, and a family friend Angela Mosley, were heading home from Bible study at New Beginnings in Clinton, La. Their car was hit head around 9:30 p.m. May 30 in Slaughter by an alleged drunk driver, Brett Gerald, 30, of Greensburg.

Brenda Gaines; her daughter, Denise Johnson; Mosley; Jyran Johnson; and Diamond Johnson died instantly. Fifteen-year-old Willie Gaines was taken off life support on June 3, while his brother, 13-year-old brother Rogerick Johnson, went home June 10. Denise Johnson was the mother of all four children who died.

Gaines told the Baton Rouge Advocate a day after the crash he is leaning on the Lord for comfort.

“That is all I can do,” he said.

Authorities believe Gerald was out celebrating his 30th birthday and was under the influence of alcohol. After testing his blood/alcohol content, authorities said Gerald’s BAC was .15g percent, which is nearly twice the legal limit of .08g percent.

According to the Baton Rouge Advocate, Gerald has at least two DWI arrests prior to the May 30 tragedy.

Louisiana State Police arrested him Aug. 18, 2008, in East Feliciana Parish and booked him on one count each of second-offense DWI, hit-and-run, improper lane usage and careless operation.

Gerald was arrested in Livingston Parish on Aug. 30, 2010, and was booked, again, on a count of second-offense DWI.

At the time of the crash, Gerald was arrested and bonded out. When Willie Gaines died, Gerald was arrested again, and his charges were upgraded. He faces seven counts of vehicular homicide, first-degree vehicular negligence, second offense DWI, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and driving left of center. Gerald’s bond was set at $1 million June 12.